the wrong side of the bed

Saturday, January 01, 2005

why are there no songs about wisconsin?*

when i miss my texas homeland, i have so many songs to think about. i desperately want to make a mix cd of songs about texas, but i lack the technology. when i pine for my home, i hear the songs in my head. but what happens when i long for the frozen north? nothing. i have no soundtrack for this.

right now, i am just about tired of being in texas. i think i can handle eating the traditional new years meal with my family, i do need the black eyed peas to bring me luck, but, please, could i leave before my dad starts watching the rose bowl? and could i leave before my mom makes me take down the christmas tree?

madison, you are no texas, but i miss my own bed. and i want my brand of soy milk instead of the one my sister prefers. and could my parents turn off the radio? sometimes i just need a little silence. why does my mom listen to farm talk and prison radio anyway?**

* please let me know if there are.

** actually, the prison radio call-in show is fascinating. family members and friends of inmates in the huntsville correctional facility call-in to give messages that didn't make it over the phone. it is hard for prisoners to get telephone access, so they just listen to the radio show and people call to tell them things like "michael, we still love ya. ma and cindy are keeping your room off-limits to the cats cuz of your allergies, but it is getting harder to keep billy out. he misses you so much, you know. i think he just likes looking at your stuff and thinking about ya. or else he is pawning your stuff at the pawn shop! you used to have a guitar, didn't you? well, not anymore! just kidding, son. anyway, we love you and we miss you. we will be at your parole hearing on the fifth."

7:49 AM

4 Comments:

There's "On Wisconsin," which is excruciating on a number of levels. When I hear it, I always imagine the *frack* of the out-of tune trombones in my high school band. And then, of course, it reminds me of labor unions, which isn't excruciating, but it's not exactly heartwarming, either.

Okay, so maybe this sounds stupid, but because they took place in Milwaukee, the Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley theme songs always remind me of home. Particularly the "shlemiel, shlamazel" part.

If you're from the Mil, there's this fantastic ABC affiliate song that everyone born before 1978 knows: "Makes no difference where I go, you're the best hometown I know... Hello, Milwaukee-aaah - HELLO MILWAUKEE-EE-EE... Channel 12 loves yoooooooooo..."

But the best was the Milwaukee Brewers' theme song from the early 80s pennant-win days, that they used to play at games and stuff: "Come see what's brewin'..." It was awesome.

None of this means anything if you're not actually from Wisconsin, though. What can I say? There's no "New York New York," or "Deep In the Heart of Texas," or "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)." It's *Wisconsin*, for Pete's sake.

Ang- that "hello milwaukee" song- well, our channel 13 news in Maine had the same one and we sang it a lot in school- itt went "hello maine, hello maine, bath school kids love you" and also "makes no difference where I go- your the best state that I know..." I am sure Dorotha could adapt this to Texas.

While I was in Maine, my mother and I were talking about state songs. I tried to sing "On Wisconsin" for her- but ONLY knew the union lyrics! My mother couldn't remember all the lyrics to the official Maine song "Oh Pine Tree State", so I googled it and found a website that actual plays the song for you- here is Maine's official song and also the On Wisconsin ("grand old badger state?"). They also have Texas ("all hail the mighty state!")